Toan

Wanted to share what happened to me today when I called the 214-Customer Support Number about missing points.

I book a R/T ticket. Flew the outbound leg, had to cancel the second leg and saved the credit for a later flight. Booked another flight outbound to a new destination (not with the credit but from soon to be expiring credits). 3 days later when I noticed that the outbound leg points hadn't booked yet, I called customer support.

The agent told me that the outbound points will not post until I use the credit AND fly that leg. This is news to me since points for segments already flown get posted immediately once you cancel the second portion. (It shows up as refund in your points balance). Despite showing him numerous examples of this refund points, he told me this was the new policy.

Has anybody experienced this or is it just me?

By the way, I have flown 79 legs this year and have 915k points on airfare alone. No credit card purchases.

lougord99

Curious why you booked a round trip ? Most of us only book 1-ways.

antinseattle

That's kinda, not very, helpful

lougord99

Actually it is helpful for the next trip, of which the OP has many.

Toan

Last minute work trip. Didn't want to do double entry in expense system. Hence R/T. But somebody help me with the bigger issue.

antinseattle

OP. Did you happen to call the A List line again, and get a different person? If I think out loud here, it does make sense that the points wouldn't post until the RT flight was completed or credits used. If it was refundable, which clearly I'll assume was not, is the only way the points would have posted as a
oW. The PNR is still in play and is now a credit until used. It's been years, since I've had a scenario like this, but I believe the CS is correct

At least when I think out loud, it's correct. Seems like a great way to play the A list/CP game for 2016, if already qualified for 15'. I might start booking RTs and decide to push the returns off until 2015, or cancel them if I choose later, and have the credit hit in 2015.....

Curious on next q for agent. What if you use credits for different leg (destination). I'm sure it still posts? Hmmmm

KelseyR

Believe that is correct. Says in the T&C:

"The Member will not accrue any points for any portion of the ticket that has been flown until the entire ticket has been completed (i.e., flown, used as payment toward another ticket, refunded, or a combination thereof). If the Member fails to take action to complete the partially flown ticket before the ticket expiration date, the Member will not accrue any points for the flown portion of the expired ticket. Cancellation is not considered taking action on a ticket."

http://www.southwest.com/html/custom...and_conditions

synk

This used to happen to me before... Another reason to always book one way. I'm actually surprised it didn't happen to you sooner.

toomanybooks

If I am understanding the OP's issue, this has been known and commented on here for some time.

As I recall (have not done it myself), this also occurs if you have any TTFs associated with that PNR still remaining.

In fact, it would be a useful way to push point-posting to a following year if you are already A-List/CP qualified for the current year.

InkUnderNails

Would it?

Are the points from a flown segment in one year credited to the year flown and earned or to the year in which they post. We know with partner transfers and earnings that the transaction date is the date to which the points are attached. Does anyone have experience that it is otherwise? I don't know.

toomanybooks

I thought some folks did this and reported it in January. Maybe my recollection is faulty.

rsteinmetz70112

I've never done it but my recollection is people have reported the points post when the return trip is flown.

Toan

As the OP I can tell you I do the RT at the end of the year and the points post to the next year. Both the Outbound and return. So I book a November flight with a Jan return and all the points post in 2015.

But that isn't my original question.

lougord99

So I reread your OP and I am totally confused as to what you did. You are talking about credits and points and refunds and I don't follow.

ursine1

The OP's post is pretty confusing. Why mention the 2nd outbound booking at all? It has no bearing on anything since the credits from the previously cancelled return flight weren't used for that booking.

As far as I can tell, what's being said is:

Booked round trip ticket. Flew outbound leg, then cancelled return flight. No points received, called CS, told that's how it's supposed to work -- points don't post until action is taken on the remaining credit.

The T&C's support the CS agent.

I book mostly one-ways, so I have no personal experience that says otherwise.